Get Up to Get Well: The Importance of Movement for Mental Health

For decades, we’ve seen how movement can improve our mood and mental health.

In 1952, Gene Kelly told us to ignore the risk of pneumonia because of how good it felt to sing in the rain. Throughout the 70s and 80s, hoards of aggressive youth with nowhere else to direct their energy left it on the floor of CBGB and other legendary punk spots across the country. 

Around the same time, hip-hop was teaching us that movement can help us get our minds right and our message out with music that you literally couldn’t help but dance to. As recently as 2014, Taylor Swift has shown us the importance and empowerment of “shaking it off”. 

Time and again, our stereos and screens have helped illustrate what our bodies and brains already know: we feel better when we move. But why? What’s the method behind this mental health movement magic, and how can we harness it in our everyday lives? Let’s talk about it. 

Dancing for Dopamine

No, this is not a charity (at least one we’ve heard of). Dancing has been proven to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter that helps reduce depression and anxiety and improve your all-around mood. It also helps to regulate your cortisol, which is linked to stress and other mental health challenges. 

Shaking It for Serotonin 

Serotonin is another one of those natural feel-good chemicals in the brain that are released when you experience joy, happiness, and comfort. Serotonin also helps to strengthen executive function, long-term memory, and other critical brain tasks. Any kind of movement, whether it’s dancing, running, walking, swimming, or cleaning your house, can bolster serotonin surges. It can also help reduce the risk of panic attacks and regulate mood. 

Oxytocin for All

Often called the love hormone, oxytocin is the brain chemical most commonly linked to trust, sexual arousal, and relationship development. Movement releases oxytocin in multiple ways. In a group setting, it helps us get closer to and more comfortable with the people around us through shared experience; on our own, it can be released through even low and moderate-impact workouts. 

Let’s End with Endorphins

We may have heard that physical activity releases endorphins, but what exactly does that mean for your brain and body? Endorphins are another neurotransmitter that helps improve mood and reduce stress, as well as relieve pain. Who wouldn’t want more of that? The best part is endorphins are low-hanging brain fruit and can be easily unlocked through everyday physical activities like dancing, walking, and physical intimacy. 

So…Why the Science Lesson?

Despite instinctively knowing how good movement is for our brains, many of us are still reluctant to get moving. We also know how it is to be dragged kicking and screaming to the gym or even just for a walk with friends, only to feel exponentially better after having done it. 

Recovery Unplugged recognizes the profound impact that movement has on mental health, which is why we integrate it into our daily treatment with our Morning Pump-Up routine and other exercises. Whether you’re in treatment, feeling down about life, or just literally and figuratively want to shake the bad mood off, start by getting up and moving around in whatever way is comfortable for you. You’ll thank us after the cool-down.